By Rugby World reader, Stephen Thomas

What were your highlights of January 2010? Post a comment below……

So the time has come to review January’s action. A lot has happened in the past month and it has been very tough to choose my recipients for my awards but here they are!
Team of the Month goes to Northampton Saints for putting in such an incredible performance against Munster. I thought Munster had the class to beat them comfortable but they didn’t and to be honest they should have won! Who knows they might in the quarter final!
They are quite a few winners in the player of the month award. One winner is Andrew Trimble for scoring an incredible try against Bath in the Heineken Cup. Another winner is Dwayne Peel for signing a new two year deal at Sale! I am so relieved. Another player of the month is James Gaskell. He is such an incredible talent and has impressed me over the past month!
Coach of the Month goes to Jim Mallinder for coaching Northampton to the quarter finals; the only English team to get there! An again there are quite a few moments of the month.
Leicester Tigers have to get a special mention for their demolition of London Wasps scrum in their recent Guinness Premiership match; it was great to watch.
Another moment of the month was the 70-week ban for David Attoub of Stade Francais. There is something I didn’t expect and a ban that I hope gets across the message eye gouging is not a part of rugby. They are my rewards to January.
Next month they will be more Six Nations based. Let’s hope for a great tournament like last year. Until next month!